Economic Anger Once Again Punishes the Party in Power

Discontent with the economy is once again proving to be the primary force in U.S. politics, defining elections in three states on Tuesday and punishing the party in power. 

Democratic candidates who focused their messages on economic issues will now lead the country’s biggest city, as well as two states: In New York City, which elected a 34-year-old democratic socialist as mayor, it was housing affordability and the cost of big-city living. In New Jersey, a nearly 20% rise in power prices over the past year amped up voter frustration. In Virginia, voters felt the effects of President Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce and a government shutdown that has left many workers there without paychecks.